Brown County Demographic Report on the Population of Elders: An Overview of Census 2000 Data

Population / total
Total in 2000 / 14957
Total in 2006 (est.) / 15071
% Growth 2000-2006 / 0.76%
Ages 65 and over in 2000 / 1923
Ages 65 and over in 2006 / 2078
% 65 and over in 2006 / 13.79%
% Growth (65+) 2000-2006 / 8.1%
Population over 85 in 2006 / 214
Population est. 55-64 2006 / 1855
Spanish Speakers (65+) / 15
Speak little or no Engl. (65+) / 0

The population of seniors ages 65 and over in Brown County grew rapidlyfrom 2000 to 2006, though the total population in the county grew very little.

(*Number of seniors ages 65 and over by census tract.)

Income / %
of ages 65+ living below poverty level / 10.1
% of total population below poverty level / 8.9
Ages 65+ living below 150% of poverty / 19.3
Labor force participation rate for ages 65+ / 18.44
Unemployment rate (%) among labor force participants ages 65+ / 9.3

The percentage of seniors in Brown County that lives below the poverty levelis larger than the percentage of the county’s total population as well as the percentage of seniors across Indiana (7.7%) that lives below the poverty level. The labor-force participation rate among seniors in Brown County is considerably higher than among seniors across Indiana (13.93%), but unemployment among seniors in the county is also much higher than among seniors across Indiana (3.45%).

The proportion of females to males generally increases in older cohorts. Brown County has a large number of people in the baby-boom generation, indicating that the population of seniors may grow considerably in the coming decades.

The largest frequency of seniors in Brown County is in the income category from $5,000 and $9,999, as is in most counties in Indiana. *Note that income categories for this graph are larger for those making more than $54,999.

Housing
Households with 1 or more 65+ / 1327
Number of 65+ householders / 1213
% 65+ householders who own (v. rent) / 90.44
% 65+ householders living in housing built before 1960 / 32.56
% 65+ householders who moved in before 1970 / 27.62
Number of 65+ females living alone / 310
Number of 65+ male living alone / 120
% of householders living alone / 35.45
% of 65+ householders who pay >35% of income for housing / 27.86

Brown County has a much smaller percentage of senior householders who live in older housing thanthe does the state of Indianaas a whole(48.6%),and amuch smaller percentage of senior householders who have been living in the same home for over 30 yearsthandoes the state as a whole(37.8%).

Grandparents as Caregivers for Grandchildren 18 Years Old and Younger

Tot. / %
Aged 65+ living with one or more own grandchildren / 40 / 2.17% (of sample)
Aged 65+ having primary responsibility for grandchildren / 10 / *25%
Aged 65+ living with, but not responsible for grandchildren / 30 / *75%
Aged 55-64 living with one or more own grandchildren / 60 / 3.23% (of sample)
Aged 55-64 having primary responsibility for grandchildren / 30 / *50%
Aged 55-64 living with, but not responsible for grandchildren / 20 / *33.33%

*Percent of total of those living with one or more of their own grandchildren. Sample size for 65+ = 1840; sample size for ages 55-64 = 1860.

Most householders over 64 years old own their home as opposed to rent, while almost one third of all senior householders live alone. The percentage of senior householders in Brown County who own their homeis larger than the percentageof senior householders who own their own home across Indiana (82.13%). The percentage of householders ages 85 years and older in the county who own their homeis also larger than the corresponding percentage across the state (70.94%). Finally, the percentage of seniors in Brown County who live alone is smaller than the percentage of all seniors who live alone across Indiana (29.11%).

Disabilities among Non-institutionalized Population Aged 60+ / Total number
Sensory / 305
Physical / 510
learning/remembering/concentrating / 215
Self-care disability / 165
Go-outside-home disability / 280
Employment disability / 19
Percent of ages 65+ with any disability / 35.0

*Categories are not mutually exclusive. (Source: US Census Summary File 3)